FAQ’S (Frequently Asked Questions)

This section is designed as a precursor to the “Ask Baron & Chestney” section. It is best to look here first, before asking B & C, as it is very possible that someone else has already asked your question, and the answer lies right here on our website. For SPECIFIC questions, like “What did my neighbors, the Smiths, sell their house for last month?”, you would of course just “ASK BARON & CHESTNEY“. A Baron & Chestney Real Estate discount real estate broker will get you a personal response as soon as feasible.

This FAQ page primarily discusses our discount real estate commission program for home sellers. If you are a potential home buyer, you will most likely want to instead learn about our real estate rebate program for home buyers, by which you get a commission rebate when you purchase a home with a Baron & Chestney Real Estate discount realtor representing you as the home buyer. Please click on the following link to learn more about our realtor commission rebates: But I’m a home buyer.

A : Essentially, Baron & Chestney Real Estate earns a 1% real estate commission on either side of any real estate transaction — 1% from the home sellers’ side and 1% from the home buyers’ side. By charging no more than a 2% real estate commission on a typical 6% real estate commission deal, Baron & Chestney Real Estate passes the extra 2% to 4% on to the real estate buyers and sellers. If we represent both sides in the realty transaction, the TOTAL realtor commission is only 2% (best case scenario) — 1% to Baron & Chestney for each side of the deal, or 2% total. If the other real estate brokerage insists upon their traditional 3% commission (half of the 6% commission), then the total real estate commission that the home seller would pay is 4% (worst case scenario) — 1% to Baron & Chestney, and 3% to the other realtor. If the other real estate company is willing to reduce its fees somewhat, then the total realtor commission that the home seller pays will fall somewhere within the range of 2% to 4%, depending upon the amount of the discounting that the other firm is willing to do (think in terms of .5% as a discount, as a rule of thumb, if another brokerage is even willing or able to do so). For further details, please read through the “8 SCENARIOS SHOWING HOW B & C SAVES ME MONEY” section, under ABOUT BARON & CHESTNEY, above. If you still don’t understand, please give us a call, or ASK B & C what you don’t understand.

2. Q: Ok, I understand the math/mechanics behind the 2% to 4% commission. But HOW CAN YOU DO IT?!

A: There are a multitude of reasons why Baron & Chestney Real Estate’s unique business model brings tremendous savings to both buyers and sellers of real estate. To name a few: we are real estate brokers who do not have to split commissions with real estate agents, we prefer to do more real estate transactions for less real estate commission per deal, we work only with the most qualified buyers, sellers, and properties, and our system facilitates price negotiations between home buyers and home sellers because our business model’s real estate commission structure serves to buffer the price gap that would otherwise keep them apart. The only party that really makes less on the deal is Baron & Chestney Real Estate. For further details, please read our “philosophy” section, our “Specialty” section, “Why Baron & Chestney is Different“, “Why I Should Use Baron & Chestney”, “How Does Baron & Chestney Save Me Money”, and “8 Typical Scenarios” all found in our ABOUT section. If you still don’t understand, call us, or use the “Ask Baron & Chestney” feature.

3. Q: OK, I understand the math, mechanics, and how you can do it. But, WILL I LOSE ANYTHING BY USING Baron & Chestney Real Estate?

A: No, not at all. Remember, we are a FULL SERVICE discount commission real estate BROKERAGE. You will get all of the same full service that a 6% “national chain” real estate company would give you, without the unreasonable and over inflated 6% commission price! Also, WE ARE REAL ESTATE BROKERS. The 6% national chain realtor firms send a common real estate agent to deal with you. We eliminate the middle man/middle woman (real estate sales agent), so you deal directly with one of our discount real estate BROKERS. Baron & Chestney Real Estate’s discount real estate brokers are licensed, we are Realtors, we have signs, lock boxes, Home Search Services, advertising, marketing, a website, an office, and all of the typical features that you would expect from the biggest real estate companies in the country — except without the biggest commissions that come along with those 6% national chain real estate companies. The only thing missing from our service is about 2% to 4% of the realtor commission that you would otherwise pay to our 6% commission competitors. We think you can live without that! However, if you STILL want to pay 6% commissions, may we instead propose the following strategy: use a Baron & Chestney Real Estate discount realtor to sell your home, save from 2% to 4% in real estate commissions on the sale of your home, and then take the difference (6% minus what you paid in realtor commissions to a Baron & Chestney discount broker) and then DONATE IT to one of the following excellent charities: American Cancer Foundation, American Heart Association, American Red Cross, Veterans of Foreign Wars, March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy, your favorite religious organization, etc., etc. — believe us, they need the money a LOT more than our competitors do! Besides, you can feel good about giving money to the excellent charity or charities of your own choosing, right? Best of all, it’s TAX DEDUCTIBLE! Money paid to a 6% commisison national chain real estate agent is not. For more information, please see our ABOUT section.

Japan Town at Night, San Francisco

4. Q: What are some of the other factors that help keep your realty commissions so low?

A: We are real estate brokers, we are specialized in purchases and sales of property (as opposed to property management or rentals), we only represent the finest properties, we have the best qualified buyers, we have knowledgeable sellers, we eliminate the real estate sales representatives who unnecessarily inflate real estate commission fees, and last but not least, we do a large volume of real estate transactions based on your good referrals– so we do not have to charge outrageous commissions on any of our realty transactions. Our Baron & Chestney Real Estate discount realtors really do place a huge value on the importance of your excellent and generous referrals– whether you are a Baron & Chestney home buyer or a Baron & Chestney home seller, or both– we want you to tell your friends, neighbors, family, and coworkers what a great job we did for you. It keeps us growing stronger and expanding! It’s a win-win arrangement for you and for us. (The only losers are the 6% commission realtors — and whose fault would THAT be?!)

5. Q: My home is currently listed for sale with another real estate company. Can you rescue me?

A: Well, not until your current listing contract has expired. Baron & Chestney Real Estate discount realtors cannot solicit an active real estate listing. Please contact a Baron & Chestney Real Estate discount real estate broker when your current listing has expired, though! We will gladly help you at that time. Please understand that it is simply not ethical for us to solicit an existing listing. Our discount brokers are all realtors as well, and we adhere to the realtor code of ethics at all times. YOU may call US if you wish to discuss matters. However, there is a possibility that you could be liable for two real estate commissions if you breach an existing listing contract before its expiration. We would not want to see that happen to you. One possible strategy is simply to refuse to sell your home, if you are adamant about not getting gouged for 6% of the sales price. Once your listing contract expires, you can then wait a few days for your previous real estate agent to submit to you a written list of buyers who were shown the home. If you sell to anyone on that list for the next 90 days, you will likely owe them a commission. If they do not provide such list, and/or if you wait the 90 day period, you are free to hire another realtor to represent you in the sale of your home without being charged two commissions. If you have any further questions about this topic, please do not hesitate to call us and speak directly with one of our discount realtors.

6. Q: How does Baron & Chestney Real Estate compare to those “help you to sell your house” or “assist you to sell your house” real estate services?

A: Most “help you to sell your home” or “assist you to sell your home” real estate companies charge a flat fee, often based on a percentage of the value of your home. For most homes which are listed and sold by Baron & Chestney Real Estate, our 2% realtor commission will be equal to or just slightly higher than the realtor commission fees charged by such companies. However, you will get the FULL SERVICE that a traditional 6% commission real estate firm provides, but for only a 2% to 4% realtor commission when you sell with Baron & Chestney Real Estate. Plus, you won’t have to do any of the work yourself! A Baron & Chestney Real Estate discount realtor will handle it all for you! You get the discount realtor price without the “discounted” real estate service. In addition, our for sale signs do not cause the embarrassment often associated with “do it yourself” sorts of real estate services that tend to make a home seller look “cheap”. Furthermore, there is a reason that such services are jokingly referred to as “HOPE you sell”, and “ATTEMPT to sell” — by asking the other realtors (the ones who bring the buyers, that is!) to discount their commissions, those companies tend to alienate the great majority of the real estate community, and their listings are often intentionally “overlooked” in favor of other homes that are instead offering the full 3% buyer’s broker real estate commission. We are full service discount commission real estate brokers who will sell your San Francisco bay area home for a fraction of the traditional full service real estate commission price. To learn more, please read our ABOUT section.

7. Q: What’s wrong with selling my house myself?

A: Theoretically, there is nothing wrong with you selling your home yourself if that is your wish. It is certainly your right to do so. You should keep in mind, however, that you will be sending a strong message to potential home buyers. They will be wondering why you are selling the home yourself, and will likely conclude that you are trying to save money. They may want a “cut” of your savings! They may also naturally conclude that you are trying to hide something or that there is something “wrong” with your home. Potential home purchasers will make “lowball” offers for your property, or offers with terms greatly beneficial to them and detrimental to you. While you may escape the real estate agent’s commission, you will unlikely escape the home buyers who will cut into your equity just as quickly and easily — with the net result often being much worse for you. Very few homes are sold successfully by their owners — and when they are, it is often for a much lower price, and/or disadvantageous terms of sale for the home seller. It usually takes a lot longer to sell your own home, as well, and very often the home owner will list the home for sale with a real estate agency after failing to sell it himself, anyway! Why not just do it right the first time, and save thousands of dollars in realtor commissions without compromising anything? Call Baron & Chestney Real Estate and let one of our discount brokers sell your home for you! Our reputation and our business model says, “This owner is SMART”, not “this owner is cheap”! At Baron & Chestney Real Estate, our discount realtors are proud to represent only the SMART folks!

8. Q: How about other real estate agents/ real estate brokers — will they discount their real estate commissions for me?

A: Remember, a 6% real estate commission is made up of two parts — a 3% real estate commission on the listing (home seller) side, and a 3% real estate commission on the home buyer’s side. First, you need to distinguish exactly WHAT is being discounted! The real estate market conditions should influence your decisions, too. It never hurts to ask for a discounted real estate commission, but you must understand where the discount is coming from. Asking for a discount on the listing side is one thing — but even if you get it, it will usually only be a slight discounting, say .5%, for example, and then you will have to beg and grovel for it. At Baron & Chestney Real Estate, our discount real estate brokers discount 2% of the listing side commission automatically as our standard company policy — and no begging or groveling is required, so you can get back up off your knees! However, the OTHER 3% in commissions — the amount that will be paid to the buyer’s broker (the one who brings the home buyer), really should be a function of the real estate market conditions. In a hot real estate market, you may offer less, like 2.5%, to the other realtor. However, as the real estate market cools, those homes that offer a full 3% to the buyer’s side broker seem to sell much easier and faster (naturally). Therefore, you need to be very careful when you are saving money on real estate commissions — and consider from WHERE your savings is being derived. Indeed, what all of the “help you to sell”, “assist you to sell”, or “flat rate” real estate services FAIL to mention to you is that the very low commission or fee that they are quoting you is just THEIR side of the commissions or fees — NOT the OTHER side!!! You will STILL have to pay the OTHER side a realtor commission as well! Because of that, you must think very carefully about where and how you are trying to save commission dollars! In fact, the ONLY logical and SMART place to save money in realtor commissions is on the LISTING side, with Baron & Chestney Real Estate. Looking to save money on the BUYER’s side commission may prove very unwise in a cooler real estate market. A 6% realty commission rule is not a law, but it is still a fairly firmly entrenched rule of thumb in the real estate industry. Baron & Chestney Real Estate discount realtors continue to work hard to try to change that, and we have exerted tremendous pressure upon our old fashioned traditional 6% competitors to lower their commissions. However, many of them are simply set up in such a way that even if they wanted to charge you lower real estate commissions, their rigid and highly inefficient business models still force them to gouge their customers just to meet their massive overhead. Still others are simply stubborn, foolish, greedy, and/or inflexible. In any case, you will not find a better deal than what Baron & Chestney Real Estate has to offer. You will certainly not find a better value for your real estate commission dollar. Read the fine print, ask lots of questions, and get all the promises in writing — because when the real estate market gets tough, 6% commission realtors get desperate. At Baron & Chestney, we do not have to offer “fire sale” prices when the market gets tough — our commissions are set at 1% per transaction side in any real estate deal. No haggling, no begging, no groveling, no special deals or “fire sale” prices — just good old fashioned service for a fair price. The only ones who are getting “burned” are our 6% commission competitors … and whose fault would that be?

9. Q: Isn’t it true that a real estate listing offering a lower realty commission, say 5%, may not attract as many buyers agents to show the property to potential buyers?

A: It really depends upon the real estate market conditions. Theoretically, one could argue that, especially in a hot real estate market, most real estate brokers and real estate agents will not let that deter them from showing any home. However, the fact of the matter is, some will. It is unfortunate, but often true. As mentioned in #8, above, the real estate market conditions (a cooler market, especially) may dictate that it would be prudent to offer a full 3% realtor commission to the buyer’s broker, as a strong incentive to encourage exposure and facilitate a quick sale for a good price. Our Baron & Chestney Real Estate discount brokers will discuss many potential listing and pricing strategies with our clients, in accordance with the market conditions, specific neighborhood trends and dynamics, your unique property, etc. There are certainly many variables that can come into play. Most importantly, though, we do NOT want to do anything that would be detrimental to our home sellers’ best interests. Therefore, a cooperating real estate broker who wishes to show a Baron & Chestney Real Estate listing would still be entitled to his share of the commission noted on the Home Search when the transaction closes. Baron & Chestney Real Estate would only receive a 1% real estate commission — hence, the home seller only pays a 4% real estate commission at maximum, and the buyers’ broker still gets his full share of commission, unless he voluntarily reduces his cut in the interests of facilitating the deal. In other words, our sellers can rest assured that other real estate brokers will try just as hard to sell a Baron & Chestney Real Estate listing as they would any other listing on the Multiple Listing Service (Home Search). This is a very important point which distinguishes our real estate business model from the rest. The important point to remember is that other real estate agents and brokers will not suffer or lose commissions by selling a Baron & Chestney listing. The money is essentially coming out of OUR pockets, not theirs. The only company to “lose” commissions is Baron & Chestney, UNLESS the other brokerage voluntarily discounts its commission, as well, in good faith. In this manner, we do not attract the hatred of other real estate professionals, and as a result, our clients’ listings do not suffer as do those of any firm which offers less than a full commission to the broker, agent, or firm which brings the buyer.

A: Well, we don’t really know the answer to this one! It really depends on the broker/agent and their particular circumstances. Agents most likely do not have the authority. Brokers may simply be unwilling to compromise. Larger name national “chain” real estate franchises may not be able to because of their corporate policies and procedures, and the way they are structured, with massive overhead and inflated commission split structures within their offices. They may literally be unable to afford to do so, even if they wanted to! Larger firms often have HUGE overhead expenses that they must cover and the commission that you pay is getting split many times and is paying the salaries of all sorts of folks in their employ whom you will never meet. Their commission structure may simply not make it cost effective for them to allow any discounting at all. They may honestly tell you the real reason, or they may make excuses to cover the fact that they just don’t want to or simply cannot. But why bother ask, beg, and/or grovel for a tiny realtor commission reduction when you can get a MASSIVE 2% realtor commission reduction, guaranteed, with Baron & Chestney Real Estate? It’s our company policy — no humiliating asking or begging required! We would love your help on this question! Please contact us with the “reason(s)” that other agents or brokers give you as to why they don’t discount their commission rates! We will process your answers, and post the most common ones on this website, as well as some of the silliest ones! We are having a “silly excuse” contest right now, in fact, so send them in, we’ll post the best ones/funniest ones right here on the website, and we’ll select a winner and donate $50 to the charity of their choice in the winner’s name, plus they will get a $50 gift certificate to a local hardware store, as well. See our CONTESTS section for full details.

Baron & Chestney Real Estate offers FULL SERVICE discount real estate brokers who will sell your San Francisco Bay Area home for a discount realtor commission of only 2% to 4% in TOTAL. Home buyers who purchase a home using our home buyer rebate program will get a realtor rebate of up to 2% of the selling price of the home. Serving your discount real estate needs throughout 10 San Francisco Bay Area counties, our discount realtors will save you THOUSANDS of dollars in real estate commissions, whether you are selling a home or buying a home, or BOTH! Call a Baron & Chestney Real Estate discount real estate broker today, and let our home seller discount real estate commissions and home buyer discount realtor rebates save you thousands of dollars in realtor commissions on your next bay area realty transaction! Call US first!

Once you have clicked on the appropriate county, you will be redirected to a page where you can further narrow your search within that county. For your convenience, a list of every San Francisco bay area county that we cover, with each city, town, neighborhood, district, or unincorporated area that we cover within that county, follows: